This invention relates in general to fire escape/fire fighting and building maintenance systems for use in connection with high rise buildings and the like, and in particular to an escape/rescue system including one or more upright columns on the outside walls of the high rise and an escape slider for each occupant of the building.
In the event of fire in a high rise building, whether it be a hotel, apartment or office building, conventional escape routes may often be unusable. Elevators can become disabled in times of fire and can become death traps due to a power failure. Staircases can be smoke filled and may be blocked preventing access to the ground. Traditional fire fighting rescue equipment such as hook and ladder trucks are not always available nor capable of reaching the upper floors of a high rise building. Thus there is a need for an accessible fire escape system which is simple, reliable and readily available at all times to all occupants of a building.
In order to provide some means of emergency exit for occupants of a high rise building which overcome the problems associated with the normal means of ingress and egress, many other emergency escape systems have been disclosed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,752 (Gunter) discloses a rescue device including a rescue cabin suspended by a cable and guided on a rail mounted on the side of the high rise. U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,891 (Friess) discloses an emergency escape system including a lowering device clamped to a vertical I-beam running the height of the building and an automatic descent speed controller using drums revolving in a viscous fluid enclosure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,350,224 (Jochum et al) shows a rescue cabin with a transmission guide element engageable with a rail mounted to the high rise. A motor attached to the transmission element drives the cabin up and down the rail.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,689 (Bonvin) discloses an escape mechanism which includes an inertial escapement member for hindering rotation and for slowing the descent by gravity of the escape mechanism.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,406,349 (Vilcheck), 4,485,893 (Fontan); 4,499,966 (Milne et al) and 4,550,801 (Forrest) each describe an individual escape device from high rise buildings which include descent velocity control means.
All previous escape devices are either too costly or not very practical which are basic reasons for not being accepted by the public. This invention eliminates these drawbacks and can be implemented on most existing high rise buildings.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an emergency escape system which is readily accessible to a majority of occupants of a high rise building.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an emergency escape system which is economical, practical and can be easily carried about by the occupants of a high rise building.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a gravity operated emergency escape device having an automatically operated braking system in the event the user is unable to physically sustain a controlled descent.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an emergency escape system which requires no external power source for operation.
It is another object to provide a fire escape system which can be utilized by fire fighting and building maintenance equipment.
It is another object of this invention to provide a system which can be used to assist in the evacuation of a building as well as the protection and maintenance of the building.